Specifying Rendering Extension Parameters in Configuration Files

You can specify rendering extension parameters in the RSReportServer configuration file to override default report rendering behavior for reports that run on a Reporting Services report server. You can modify rendering extension parameters to achieve the following objectives:

Change how the rendering extension name appears in the Export list of the report toolbar (for example, to change "Web archive" to "MHTML"), or localize the name to a different language.

Create multiple instances of the same rendering extension to support different report presentation options (for example, a portrait and landscape mode version of the Image rendering extension).

Change the default rendering extension parameters to use different values (for example, the Image rendering extension uses TIFF as the default output format; you can modify the extension parameters to use EMF instead).

To specify rendering extension parameters in the configuration files, you must know how to define the XML structures that set rendering parameters. There are two XML structures that you can modify:

The OverrideNames element defines the display name and language of the rendering extension.

The DeviceInfo XML structure defines the device information settings that are used by a rendering extension. Most rendering extension parameters are specified as device information settings.

Specifying rendering extension parameters in the configuration files affects rendering extensions globally. The settings in the configuration files are used in place of default values whenever a particular rendering extension is used. If you want to set rendering extension parameters for a specific report or render operation, you must specify device information programmatically using the Render method or by specifying device information settings on a report URL. For more information about specifying device information settings for a render operation, and to view the complete list of device information settings, see Reporting Services Device Information Settings.

Rendering extension parameters are specified in the RSReportServer.config file. You can use a text editor to modify the file. The RSReportServer.config file can be found in the \Reporting Services\Report Server\Bin folder. For more information about modifying configuration files, see Reporting Services Configuration Files.

The display name for a rendering extension appears in the Export list of the report toolbar. Examples of default display names include Web archive, TIFF file, and Acrobat (PDF) file. You can replace the default display name with a custom value by specifying the OverrideNames element in the configuration files. In addition, if you are defining two instances of a single rendering extension, you can use the OverrideNames element to distinguish each instance in the Export list.

Because display names are localized, you must set the Language attribute if you are replacing the default display name with a custom value. Otherwise, any name that you specify will be ignored. The language value that you set must be valid for the report server computer. For example, if the report server is running on a French operating system, you should specify "fr-FR" as the attribute value.

The following example illustrates how to provide a custom name on an English report server:

To modify default device information settings that are used by a rendering extension that is already deployed on your report server, you must type the DeviceInfo XML structure into the configuration files. Every rendering extension supports device information settings that are unique to that extension. To view the complete list of device information settings, see Reporting Services Device Information Settings.

The following example provides an illustration of the XML structure and syntax that modifies the default settings of the Image rendering extension:

You can create multiple instances of the same rendering extension to support different report presentation options. Each instance that you define can have a different combination of parameter values. When defining new instances of an existing rendering extension, be sure to do the following:

Specify a unique name for the extension.
Each instance must have a unique value for the Name attribute. The following example uses the names "IMAGE (EMF Landscape)" and "IMAGE (EMF Portrait)" to distinguish between the two instances.
Use caution when changing the name of a rendering extension that is already deployed. Developers who specify rendering extensions programmatically use the extension name to identify which instance to use for a particular render operation. If you are running custom Reporting Services applications on your report server, make sure that the developer knows if you modify an existing extension name or add a new one.

Specify a unique display name so that users can understand the differences for each output format.
If you are configuring multiple versions of the same extension, you can give each version a unique name by providing a value for OverrideNames. Otherwise, all versions of the extension will appear to have the same name in the Export options list on the report toolbar.

The following example illustrates how to use the default Image rendering extension (which produces TIFF output) to output EMF in Portrait mode alongside a second instance that outputs reports in EMF in Landscape mode. Notice that each extension name is unique. When testing this example, remember to choose reports that do not contain interactive features such as show/hide options, matrices, or drillthrough links (interactive features do not work in the Image rendering extension):